Report: L.A.-Long Beach Ports Handle 37% of Total U.S. Trade with China

Los Angeles County's economic ties with China have grown exponentially over the past five years, with Chinese tourists and students flocking to the area and the Southland port complex handling the bulk of China's trade volume with the United States, according to a report released today.

"Los Angeles has been referred to as the capital of the Pacific Rim due to its deep connections with the Asian continent," according to the report by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. "Like the personal ties, the economic ties between Los Angeles County and China are unmatched by any other region of the United States.

"In fact, the growth in international trade links between Los Angeles County and China has contributed greatly to the economic development of the Los Angeles region."

According to the report, the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex handles nearly 37 percent of total U.S. trade with China. About 60 percent of the port complex's two-way trade volume is related to trade with China, the report found.

According to the study, the number of Chinese students studying at Southland universities more than tripled over the past five years. USC has the highest number of Chinese students of any U.S. university, followed by UCLA, the study found.

The report found that "roughly 10,000 Chinese students are currently attending universities in Los Angeles County and when including community colleges that number rises closer to 20,000."

Tourism from China to Los Angeles, meanwhile, has soared in recent years, according to the study. China became Los Angeles' top source of overseas visitors in 2012, when 470,000 Chinese tourists came to the area. That number jumped to 570,000 in 2013. That's up from 158,000 in 2009.

"China has gone from not being in the top 10 ranking of overseas visitors just a few years ago to the #1 source of overseas visitors to Los Angeles," according to the report. "As a direct result of this surge in Chinese tourism, areas like the San Gabriel Valley have been witnessing an economic transformation as tourism brings spending and attracts investment.

"Cities like San Gabriel and Monterey Park have benefited greatly as it has sparked a boom in new development," the report states.

--City News Service